'Need dedicated juvenile justice police stations'

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Juvenile Justice Act is not being implemented in its true spirit in the district, with juvenile offenders often being treated as regular offenders and being dealt with regular policemen in police stations, said advocates and NGOs associated with the Juvenile Justice Board in Visakhapatnam, adding that these norms are being flouted despite various child-friendly provisions in the Act.
Stressing on the need to have special juvenile justice policemen in each police station, K Swarnakumari, member, district juvenile justice board, who also runs women-child welfare NGO Mahila Action, said, "There's a scarcity of juvenile justice policemen in police stations though it is mandatory to have such policemen in every station to deal with offenders below 18 years of age. Like advocates and judges who appear in plain dress before the juveniles, the police are also supposed to appear in civil dress and instead of dragging the juvenile offenders to the police station, should take them to observation homes. But this is not always followed."
According to her, dealing with juvenile offenders was very important as many of them were first-time offenders and could be reformed through a suitable legal and social approach. Mental health experts too advise a moderate method of behaviour therapy to prevent them from turning into habitual offenders.
Advocating the need for dedicated juvenile justice police stations in the district on the lines of dedicated women police stations, Dr NN Raju, superintendent, Government Hospital for Mental Health said that behaviour modification and simultaneous environment manipulation was the only way to reform juveniles as harsh punishment or leniency would just push them back to crime.
"Most of these offenders in the age group of 13 to 17 years are immature and unaware of the consequence or repercussions of their acts. While re-moulding them, we have to take into consideration genetic predilection, psychological make-up and environment of the juvenile."
However, city police commissioner B Shivadhar Reddy, said that the police approaches juvenile offenders as per the provisions of the Act. "An ASI (assistant sub-inspector) has been deputed in every police station to handle such young offenders. In fact they are not even addressed as criminals but as juveniles in conflict with the law. But it's always better to have more number of personnel in the police stations so that they can deal exclusively with the cases of juveniles," the CP agreed.
According to counsellors and legal experts, most of the crimes committed by middle and upper middle class juveniles pertain to cyber-crime, eve-teasing and causing accidental deaths while driving, while offences like chain snatching, stealing and bike lifting are usually reported against boys from lower socio-economic strata. As for the approach towards the juveniles, mental health experts advise a moderate method of behaviour therapy to prevent them from turning into habitual offenders.
As part of its efforts to create awareness on this issue, the district juvenile justice board is also organising a workshop on Juvenile Justice Act on Saturday in the city.